{"id":49246,"date":"2018-12-08T13:16:59","date_gmt":"2018-12-08T13:16:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/12\/08\/the-army-navy-rivalry-why-its-one-of-a-kind\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T04:05:39","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T04:05:39","slug":"the-army-navy-rivalry-why-its-one-of-a-kind","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/off-duty\/military-sports\/2018\/12\/08\/the-army-navy-rivalry-why-its-one-of-a-kind\/","title":{"rendered":"The Army-Navy rivalry \u2014 why it\u2019s one-of-a-kind"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">PHILADELPHIA \u2014 The 119th rendition of the Army-Navy rivalry is just about here. The Army Black Knights (9-2) are looking for their third straight victory over a slumping Midshipmen team that enters the game with just three wins on the season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With kick-off fast approaching, Military Times spoke with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Civil-War-College-Footballs-Rivalry\/dp\/0316278246\" target=_blank>John Feinstein<\/a>, longtime sports journalist and author of \u201cA Civil War: Army vs. Navy.&#8221; Feinstein has followed the spectacle surrounding the two rivals for decades, and spoke to the distinctiveness of the historic clash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>WHAT FIRST INTERESTED YOU IN THE GAME AND INSPIRED YOU TO WRITE A BOOK THAT REMAINS POPULAR DECADES AFTER ITS FIRST PUBLICATION?<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As a child I watched Army play on TV with my dad, who was an Army veteran. Later, after college I was assigned to cover Navy at the Washington Post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The first time I saw a game live was the first time I was aware of the alma maters. At the time TV didn\u2019t show the traditions around the game. I wanted to know more about the kids playing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I first tried to do the book around the 1991 season but ended up covering the 1995 season. That was a dramatic year for both teams and ended [with a final score of] 14-13 with a 99-yard drive late by Army to win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>WHAT IS IT THAT MOVES YOU ABOUT THIS RIVALRY OR MAKES IT SO SPECIAL?<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Army-Navy is unique. That\u2019s an overused term \u2014 it means one of a kind. There\u2019s nothing else like it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I\u2019ve seen all sorts of rivalries in sports but nothing gets to me like the Army-Navy game. It\u2019s because of the young men and women in the stadium. Every member of both student bodies are in the stands or on the field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1365\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/24082689257_3b49d80457_k.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-86734\" srcset=\"https:\/\/staging.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/24082689257_3b49d80457_k.jpg.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/staging.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/24082689257_3b49d80457_k.jpg.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/staging.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/24082689257_3b49d80457_k.jpg.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/staging.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/24082689257_3b49d80457_k.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/staging.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/24082689257_3b49d80457_k.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Black Knights and Midshipmen square off at 3 p.m. on Dec. 8. (PO1 Dominique A. Pineiro\/Navy)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When they play the National Anthem all of the students salute \u2014 if you don\u2019t get a chill, there\u2019s something wrong. Those 8,000 have all volunteered to die for us, if need be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>DECADES AGO, BOTH TEAMS WERE SERIOUS COMPETITORS WITH MAJOR COLLEGE FOOTBALL PROGRAMS. WHILE THERE ARE STILL EXCEPTIONS, THAT\u2019S NO LONGER THE NORM. WHAT CHANGED THAT DYNAMIC?<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The change started after Vietnam. A lot of people didn\u2019t want to sign up for the military. And in the era you\u2019re referring to, a military officer made more money than a professional football player. And the academies not only recruit guys who can play football but also who are smart enough and tough enough to play at a military academy. The playing field changed radically over that period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I think it\u2019s remarkable that in an era where most high school football players aspire to the NFL, that the academies can remain as competitive as they do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Army scared the heck out of Oklahoma [this year]. And in four of the last 12 years, Navy has beaten Notre Dame. Fred Goldsmith, a former assistant coach at the Air Force Academy used to say the biggest difference is simple \u2013 at a civilian school, the hardest part of the football player\u2019s day is football practice. At an academy, the easiest part of the day is football practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>WITH RIVALRY GAMES, THIS ONE ESPECIALLY, IT SEEMS LIKE THE RECORDS AND STATISTICS DON\u2019T MATTER ON GAME DAY. WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS?<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bob Sutton, an Army coach in the 1990s who went 6-3 against Navy used to say the more desperate team wins in Army-Navy. Regardless of our record or their record you have to be more desperate. Frequently the underdog wins in this game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>Navy is the definitive underdog entering play today. ESPN\u2019s Football Power Index gives Army a 77.9 percent chance at winning. Kick-off is set for 3 p.m. <\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In an age of specialized athletes gunning for professional contracts, the Army-Navy game standout out among college 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